The Perfect Storm
by Hoperise
Summary: A terrible winter storm scatters the Avatar and his companions across the Earth Kingdom. Holed up against the elements, they must gloomily wait out the storm... which slowly grows to be a good thing for the respective members of the group. ZK AT SY ST SS
1. Chapter 1

Title: The Perfect Storm: A Holiday Songficlet

Author: Sarah of Dark-Angels-Tears

Rating: K+ for romance, dramatic situations, and such

Genre: Drama, Romance

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender, nor do I own any of the songs used.

Full Summary: A terrible winter storm scatters the Avatar and his companions across the Earth Kingdom. Holed up against the elements, they must gloomily wait out the storm which slowly grows to be a good thing for the respective members of the group. Zutara, Taang, SokkaYue, minor Sukka.

---

**A/N: I'm really excited about this. Christmas is coming quickly, and to celebrate I wrote this to the tune of a few of my favourite Christmas songs. If you want to get the full experience, you'd better read it with the songs on loop. D**

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**Song Lyrics**

Story Text

_'Character Thoughts'_

---

Cold. A deep, biting cold that seeps through your skin and into your bones, into your very core. This was the kind of cold Katara felt as she and Momo, who was clutching her right arm for dear life, were flung through the air that did not seem like air, so full it was of water. Blinding lightning was the only light in the cloud-filled midnight sky, and when it briefly flashed one could only watch in horror as the young waterbender was tossed about by the unforgiving sea. She struggled violently, trying to gain control over her element, but her efforts were in vain. Eventually, the pair was dragged under the water and the short blasts of light began to darken as they were pulled down further and lack of oxygen clouded Katara's mind.

And then, only darkness.

_---Scene Change---_

"I don't believe you made me do that, Uncle." A very bitter, disgusted voice echoed in Katara's aching head.

_'Who.. who is that? Where am I? What's going on?'_ The girl thought groggily, eyelids too heavy to lift. She was lying flat on her back on the cold ground; though a heat source was evidently near, as the left side of her body was warming much faster then the right. She wanted to stand, but her entire body protested viciously at the mere idea. So Katara simply lay still, waiting and listening as the haze engulfing her slowly began to clear.

An older voice, this time. "Neither of us are waterbenders, and the water had to come out somehow. It was either you or me, nephew." The voice chuckled warmly, giving Katara the mental image of a comfortable old man, not unlike her own grandfather.

A grunt of acknowledgment from the younger voice. "That's beside the point. You made me... that filthy peasant.." It was a male voice, this much Katara could identify, and from his tone she could practically hear his blush. She had the strange feeling that she recognized the voice..but how? Her eyelids fluttered as she struggled past fatigue, and the effort alone made Katara moan slightly.

"Hush, nephew. She wakens." The older voice said, and Katara opened her eyes to see the concerned face of an older man with a very familiar face... He looked like..

"General Iroh!" She gasped in recognition, with a jolt sitting upright and trying to scramble backwards. But that motion caused her already drained body to falter, then topple backwards. Katara tensed for the impact, but it never came. She had fallen back into the strong arms of.. Prince Zuko!

"You're still hurt." He said emotionlessly, simply stating the fact.

Katara stubbornly struggled to sit up and miraculously managed to do so, not wanting to remain in Aang's worst enemy's grip. She stared at the pair defiantly, wanting to fold her arms over her chest .

Iroh shrugged, walking over to a fire, which had been the 'mysterious' heat source. "You don't trust us. I can see where you might have a problem with that. But we did save your life." He said off-handedly, rummaging through something hidden by the flames.

While Iroh did... whatever he was doing, Katara surveyed the area. She was in a clearing in the forest, apparently the two firebender's campsite. There were few things in the clearing, but with them Zuko and Iroh had managed to create a fairly comfortable living space. The fire was the center of the camp, surrounded by a few bags filled with who knows what and two bedrolls. Further back from the fire Katara could see the silhouette of an ostrich-horse. Momo was lying, curled up and slumbering, close to the fire. His stomach was bulging obviously; he had been won over by food, it would seem. Who knew such an innocent-looking campsite could house such evil?

But she had no time to think anymore, as Iroh was approaching her with a plate of food and a pair of chopsticks. "Prince Zuko, would you please help her eat?" He asked the boy, as if Katara would even fall for such a simple plot!

"I won't eat it!" She gasped, outraged that they thought they could get her so easily.

The old man looked confused for a moment, then laughed in sudden understanding. "No, no, it isn't poisoned." As if to demonstrate so, he brought out apparently his own chopsticks and took a mouthful of the food (fried meat with rice and a green vegetable mixed in), swallowing and grinning. "It's good, really. I just caught the rabbit this morning."

Still not convinced, Katara looked suspiciously at the food. Unfortunately, her stomach had a mind of it's own and grumbled at its owners rejection of sustenance. Katara blushed, then relented.

Zuko, who looked just as upset by this as her, knelt down beside the prone girl and with as much dignity as a prince could muster, began to feed the young waterbender.

At the same time, Iroh had walked back over to the fire and was gently tending it, while simultaneously washing the dishes. As he did this, he began to sing softly, a song familiar to Katara. It was a carol of the Winter Festival, Christmas, a holiday celebrated by all four nations that heralded the new year and looked back on the old.

**Chestnuts roasting on an open fire,  
Jack Frost nipping at your nose.   
Yuletide carols being sung by a choir,  
And folks dressed up like Eskimos. **

The old man's deep singing voice echoed in the clearing, despite his intended volume. It made Zuko pause briefly in his feeding of Katara, then resume with royal ease.

Katara had to admit, for evil Fire Nation warriors, they were certainly being hospitable. And the fried.. rabbit.. was quite tasty, even though it was cooling fast. The rice filled her pleasantly in a way meat never really could. Good food, good atmosphere, all Katara needed was the right company and she would be right at home.

But somehow, these two firebenders made good replacements for her friends and family. Katara shivered suddenly, breaking off this train of thought. Her clothes were still soaking wet. Once she could move her arms again, she would need to bend the water from her hair and garments, as the cold winter night air was pressing in.

**Everybody knows  
A turkey and some mistletoe  
Help to make the season bright.  
Tiny tots with their eyes all aglow,  
Will find it hard to sleep tonight.  
**  
Zuko, apparently noticing her discomfort, set the plate down on the ground after she had finished the food and lifted her gently, moving her closer to the fire. He watched silently, stoically, as she began to fall back slightly, and sat down behind Katara with his arms locked around her waist to support her with his own body.

Katara blushed furiously. She had never been this close to the fire prince, and it made her slightly nervous.. but at the same time, she was oddly safe and comfortable. _'Where did that come from?'_ Katara gasped at her thoughts, looking back and seeing that there was a blush on his face, too. But Zuko made it seem so dignified, as if he were only blushing because he wanted to. This thought deepened the blush on Katara's cheeks and caused her gaze to fall.

Katara had noticed for the first time that Zuko was not wearing his hair in a topknot. Rather, it had been cut off and the rest of his chestnut locks had fallen loose about his head. Somehow, she knew this was significant and felt safer because of it.

She shivered slightly as she felt his warm breath travel down her neck, raising goosebumps on her tanned skin

**They know that Santa's on his way  
He's loaded lots of toys and goodies on his sleigh.  
And every mother's child is gonna spy  
To see if reindeer really know how to fly.  
**  
Looking back up at Iroh, who was grinning a mysterious old man grin, Katara sighed helplessly. She relaxed back into the fire prince's warm frame and gave up, knowing that if nothing else, she should at least keep up her strength.

As if sensing what was passing through her head, Zuko released his grip on the waterbender's waist and began to take out her braid, long brown hair tumbling down Katara's back like a waterfall. The girl trembled; her braid hadn't been taken out for nearly a year and it felt as if he were symbolically undressing her. But there was nothing she could do to stop him, and besides, it felt like the right thing to do in the moment.

**And so I'm offering this simple phrase  
To kids from one to ninety-two   
Although it's been said many times,  
Many ways,  
Merry Christmas to you.**

The old man fell silent, instead picking up a stick from the forest floor and prodding at the fire with it, causing it to send stray sparks crackling and sputtering up into the night sky, tossed and turned by the rising air.

Katara watched the sparks and thought of Aang, then was saddened to think of what he would do if he were in the campsite. Or Sokka, her brother. That thought caused her to stiffen slightly and her gaze to fall to the ground.

But then, a wild, rebellious thought entered her pretty young head. She didn't care what they would do or think, for she was sitting with her fire prince, safely tucked away from the storm in the ocean and in her life. That would be good for now.

**And so I'm offering this simple phrase  
To kids from one to ninety-two  
Although it's been said many times,  
Many ways,   
Merry Christmas to you.'**

As time passed, strength returned to the rest of Katara's body, mostly because of the food they'd given her and the rest she had had before she woke, but she didn't let anyone else know that.

Katara simply rested back against Zuko and closed her eyes, waiting for sleep to claim her once again.

---

**A/N: So, what do you think:D This is the first installment in a hopefully three-part oneshot. Next up we have Sokka and Toph, who are stranded out at sea. See you next time! -waves and ducks under a flying cantaloupe-**


	2. Chapter 2

Title: The Perfect Storm: A Holiday Songficlet

Author: Sarah of Dark-Angels-Tears

Rating: K+ for romance, dramatic situations, and such

Genre: Drama, Romance

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender, nor do I own any of the songs used.

Full Summary: A terrible winter storm scatters the Avatar and his companions across the Earth Kingdom. Holed up against the elements, they must gloomily wait out the storm which slowly grows to be a good thing for the respective members of the group. Zutara, Taang, SokkaYue, minor Sukka and Tokka.

---

**A/N: The excitement continues! I love this chapter more then, uh.. PIE! And that's saying a lot. This chapter is not a Tokka pairing, but if you're a supporter it is really easy to see these things. 3 Sorry if you don't like it, but I'm going to leave the chapter like this!**

---

**Song Lyrics**

Story Text

_'Character Thoughts'_

---

Down and down, plunging through the icy cold air. Sokka fell for what seemed like forever, yelling at the top of his lungs. Finally he broke through the surface of the water, at first sinking, then bobbing up like a cork. Sokka spat out a mouthful of salty ocean water, refusing the urge to hug himself to try and keep warm. The water was far below freezing, and his teeth were chattering frantically before long.

Meanwhile, the storm raged on, waves crashing over the young warrior. Each time, he came up sputtering and spitting out salt water. Sokka knew he couldn't stand the elements for long. "A-Aang!! Ap-pp-pa!!" He shouted, doing his best to be heard over the roar of the ocean. "K-Katara!! Toph!!" He could see a dark shape in the distance and called desperately, "Momo!!"

But there was no answer.

Treading water and watching the dark shape fade into other dark shapes, Sokka began to lose hope. But suddenly, he heard a comforting voice. Though it was screaming helplessly, his heart lifted greatly because he recognized it. "T-T-Toph! Toph, i-is that y-you?!" Sokka bellowed, dragging himself through the water and towards his blind friend.

The silhouette of the dark-haired girl moved quickly, then kept moving. "Sokka?! Where a-are-" A wave overtook the young earthbender, causing her to come up sputtering. "S-Sokka!" She cried, turning about quickly and confusedly.

Sokka smiled and swam over to her, relieved. "It's o-okay, I'm h-h-here! Grab onto m-my back!" He grabbed Toph's hands and put them onto his shoulders, kicking his legs slightly to stay afloat.

Toph complied, but suddenly cried out. "Ouch!"

"What, what h-happened?" Sokka said, then froze (not literally) in realization. His boomerang!

She growled, confirming his thoughts. "Your s-s-stupid b-b-boomerang cut my s-stomach!"

"I'm s-s-sorry! H-Here, let me g-get that!" Sokka said apologetically, taking one of the straps that held his boomerang to his back and sliding it along, causing the sharpened weapon to move from his back to his front, and in the process, cut open his light tunic and right into his flesh. He hissed in both pain and frustration for his stupidity, moving to allow the girl to reach him. Blood from their wounds slowly began to flow into the water, causing the ice-cold sea water to pour in. Sokka reached over to his right side, gingerly touching the opening and wincing as it began to sting.

Toph clambered onto his back piggy-back style, wrapping her arms around his chest and holding on tightly, obviously glad for the return of some of her sight. Nothing else seemed to matter to the young earthbender, as her hands were locked over one of the bladed edges of his weapon.

"C-come on, we gotta try and f-f-flag down Aang and A-Appa!" Sokka yelled, taking in a deep breath and waving one arm high above his head, then shouting, "A-Aang!! Appa!!"

Twisting her head from side to side futilely, the girl asked in only slight panic, "Where a-are they? I-I c-can only s-s-see us!"

The warrior boy paused, looking around through the rising waves. But everywhere he looked, it was the same. Water below, water falling from above. "I-I-I.. d-don't know.." He said, hand dropping back into the sea, teeth clacking together in the cold winter air.

"Then w-we'd b-b-better sh-shout harder! AANG!! K-K-KATARA!!" Toph said, nearly destroying Sokka's eardrums, but he was encouraged by this and also took to yelling.

"APPA!!" Sokka cried, adding once again desperately, "M-MOMO!!" The two shouted and screamed, ranted and raged for what could have been hours, but the only response was the spray of the ocean and endless downpour.

He felt Toph fall back against his, well, back, and sigh heavily. "W-w-we're g-g-going t-to d-die here, a-a-aren't we?" She asked softly, sounding tired and weak.

The boy jerked, turning his head as far around back as he could, and was shocked to see Toph look as hopeless as she did. "Of c-c-c-course not! W-We're gonna m-m-make it t-th-through this! K-KATARA!!" He ended with a shout that nearly deafened the already blind girl.

Toph smacked his shoulder with surprisingly little force. "D-d-d-don't.. d-do th-th-that.." She muttered hoarsely, eyes closing once.

"W-W-We're going t-to m-make it th-through th-this, T-Toph." He said, then frowned as she closed her eyes and rested her head on his shoulder, putting her already dripping face into the water. "T-T-Toph?" Sokka asked concernedly.

Toph did not move. She slipped off his back and into water turned scarlet with their blood.

"T-Toph!" He shouted, diving down into the inky red and black water, grabbing her icy cold hand and dragging her back up, this time holding her head above the surface. "T-TOPH!!!" He bellowed as loud as he could (which wasn't very loud at all), but there was no reply. She was deeply unconscious from blood loss.

Sokka roared in anger and frustration, striking at the water's surface and getting more upset because it wouldn't support his fist. He looked down at the sharp blade strapped to the front of his chest and closed his eyes once, realizing that after all this time struggling to keep both of them above the surface of the ocean, he hadn't even enough strength to raise his soggy arm and wouldn't be able to move the boomerang to his back without nearly severing one of his arms.

So right then and there, he made one of the most thoughtful decisions in his life. Sokka undid the top of his tunic, took the straps off his boomerang and placed them inside, followed by the icy blade itself. As he bent forward to pull Toph up onto his front, the blade pierced his tanned flesh and sunk in, until it hit bone.

He bellowed, and this time, it was a bellow of pure agony. He looked to the sky and shouted. "S-S-Someone, h-he-help us!!!" With one hand, he held Toph's limp head out of the water, and with the other, he struggled to stay afloat. He was fighting a losing battle, however. Even one as experienced in the water as he wouldn't be able to last much longer.

"H-HELP!" He yelled, praying to anyone that would listen. A wave of exhaustion crashed over Sokka, drenching him in his own self-pity and pain. "Someone.. help.." He felt warm for a second, then looked up to see.. the floating figure of Princess Yue.

She smiled at him and said, "Sokka, it's going to be alright."

Struggling weakly to stay above the water, he asked, "Y-Y-Yue? H-How do you kn-kn-know?" He had to fight to make his voice, hoarse from yelling for so long, heard above the crashing waves.

"Just trust me." Another mysterious smile, then a bright line shone in his eyes as she extended her shining silver palm. "Trust me.. and take my hand."

Confused, Sokka managed, "W-What?"

"I said, take my hand!" It was a burly sailor this time, holding out one meaty hand to the boy and clutching a rope ladder with the other. The ladder went all the way up the side of a large trading ship, and the bright light came from a lantern held by a concerned looking man in green robes.

Sokka summoned the last of his strength and lifted his soaking palm up to meet the sailors, using his other arm to hold onto Toph for dear life. He looked up at the bearded man and thought one more thing before he, too, fell into unconsciousness. _'Saved..'_

_---Scene Change---_

Sokka stared into the roaring fire, shifting slightly underneath a mountain of blankets and hot water bottles the crew had provided them. He was careful not to move too much, so not to reopen the wounds on his chest and back. Sokka had been drugged heavily and stitched up hours ago, and they still hurt far worse then the time he'd gotten those fish hooks stuck in his thumb.

From above him, he heard the strumming of a guitar as one of the younger sailors sung a Festival song, a girl he recognized as the captain's daughter accompanying him as his echo. They weren't professionals, Sokka could tell, but they were pretty good. Besides, the song soothed him.

**Said the night wind to the little lamb,**

**'Do you see what I see?**

**Way up in the sky, little lamb,**

**Do you see what I see?**

Sighing, he looked over at the girl he'd worked so hard to rescue with his pale blue eyes. Toph was still unconscious. She looked so pale and fragile, and it worried Sokka deeply. But Yue had told him that it would be okay, and if the princess slash moon spirit told him it was alright, then he should be able to let it go, shouldn't he?

Shouldn't he?

Another sigh. The boy was out of laughs and smiles, and it felt like he would always be. Looking out the porthole at the calm seas and clear sky, Sokka cast a grateful look at the far-away glowing sphere that was the Moon, in which rested Yue, his one and only.

**'A star, a star, dancing in the night,**

**With a tail as big as a kite,**

**With a tail as big as a kite.'**

But as the young warrior looked at the heavenly body, he felt a pang of guilt. He knew that if he had tried harder, he could have stopper Yue from making the terrible decision and to hell with the consequences. Sokka wanted to be selfish about this, despite everything Katara and Gran-Gran had tried to teach him. Yue was the one girl he really loved, and she'd been taken before anything could truly happen between them.

He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding, wanting to slam his fist against something, but there were soft blankets everywhere, and besides, he wasn't strong enough. It just wasn't fair. Everything Sokka wanted had been taken from him.

He'd left the village, his home, behind to follow after Aang and Katara. That forced everything he gained when they stopped, like his brief affection for Suki, to be cut short. He hadn't even been allowed to go after his father when the opportunity arose. The boy wiped some sweat from his brow and continued with the train of thought, not wanting to move on to a happier subject.

Unlike the others, with Yue, he could have had something. Sokka had been ready to leave Aang and Katara to stay behind with her. It was hard to hear himself think, let alone say, but Yue was dead and the things he had seen of her, in the swamp and just then when the ship had come, were just hallucinations.

**Said the little lamb to the shepherd boy,**

**'Do you hear what I hear?**

**Ringing through the sky, shepherd boy,**

**Do you hear what I hear?**

As he stared out into the silver face of the moon with yellowing eyes, Sokka felt something warm on his face and wondered if he were crying. But he didn't care. He couldn't care anymore.

Yue was dead, dead, dead. And nothing was bringing her back.

Suddenly, a cool breeze blew into the small infirmary, a blessed breeze that slightly lowered the boy's strangely high temperature. But that was impossible! Wind in the sealed off chamber? That was unheard of!

Then a familiar voice caressed his ears, and Sokka knew he was not in a dream.

**'A song, a song, high above the trees,**

**With a voice as big as the sea,**

**With a voice as big as the sea.'**

"Sokka.." Yue whispered, her faint outline becoming clearer as she stepped forwards. Her normally pale complexion had become even more so, and she glowed with otherworldly radiance. She had been especially beautiful for a princess when alive, but merging with the Moon Spirit had made her.. breathtaking.

She moved closer and pushed damp locks out of his face, then kissed him passionately on the lips. "Sokka, you're very sick." She whispered to the shocked young warrior.

**Said the shepherd boy to the mighty king,**

**'Do you know what I know?**

**In your palace warm, mighty king,**

**Do you know what I know?**

"Yue?" he croaked, bewildered. "If I'm seeing you, then I must be." The boy rationalized, falling back against the pile with a weak laugh, the firelight reflecting his unnatural pale yellow skin.

The silvery girl looked upset. "Sokka, believe me with this one. Your wounds are infected, and if you don't get some help fast, the infection will spread and you could die!" Yue said worriedly, moving even closer to him until they were almost touching.

But the warrior laughed this off, weakly shaking his head. "You just don't understand, Yue. You never understood."

Sky blue eyes filled with pearly tears as the moon spirit begged, "Then explain it to me, Sokka! Make me understand! I want to help you!" The tears spilled over and Yue began to cry softly, adding quietly, "I don't want you to die, too."

Sokka laughed again. "I just.. don't care anymore, Yue. I could die tonight, and it wouldn't matter to anyone. Toph and me are in the middle of the ocean, sick as dogs, and who knows where the others are? That storm could have sent them right into the Fire Nation for all I know. We can't help anyone. I can't help anyone. And you can't help me. No one can help me." His voice cracked partway through this speech, and he fell back against the covers as if exhausted. He closed his eyes in defeat and drew in a slow breath, not wanting to talk to this- this vision- any longer.

**A Child, a Child shivers in the cold,**

**Let us bring Him silver and gold,**

**Let us bring Him silver and gold.'**

Though Sokka didn't see, Yue stood up and moved away from him, saying softly in a tear-strained voice, "We'll just see about that."

The next thing he knew, there was great hustle and bustle of activity on the small ship. People were moving in and out of the small chamber quickly, doing who knows what. Through the haze that had fallen upon his mind, Sokka felt himself being shaken and heard voices yelling at him, meaningless, meaningless words. Confused, he struggled to lift his eyelids, but they were heavy, so heavy... how nice it would be to go to sleep...

Suddenly, he felt an unbelievably cool palm on his forehead. As soon as the hand made contact, images began to run through his head at high speeds. Katara and Aang practicing waterbending in the river. Toph lazily running her fingers through Appa's fur as they flew. Bato taking him ice dodging for the first time. And Yue. Yue smiling at him, leaning in for a kiss, pulling away with her eyes filled with tears, lying dying in his arms.

Sokka sat straight upright and took in a gasping breath, completely terrified. He looked about wildly, but though there were many people in the room, Yue was not among them

They seemed happy, however. An old lady, one Sokka recognized as the ship's healer, smiled down at him. "You're a very lucky boy. Another five, ten minutes, and would have been beyond saving. If you hadn't shouted just then, who knows what would have happened?"

**Said the king to the people everywhere,**

**'Listen to what I say!**

**Pray for peace, people everywhere!**

**Listen to what I say!**

At the side of the room, Toph was sitting on a small pillow with one arm wrapped around her stomach, staring straight ahead. "You had me really worried, you big knucklehead!" She shouted, the faint tear stains on her face belying the anger in her quavering voice.

Sokka managed a shrug to the earthbender, then asked aloud, "Where's Yue?"

The people in the boat looked at each other, and soft murmurs was his only response. That is until Toph asked rather confusedly, "Who's Yue?"

"Nevermind.." The warrior smiled, looking out the window and into the face of the moon.

The old healer smiled again, gently pushing him back against the makeshift bed. "Rest now, young one."

He didn't fight her, but instead rolled onto his side and away from the people. Sokka fell into a dreamless sleep, smiling gently. His last conscious though was one of thanks to his savior.. his Yue.

**The Child, the Child, sleeping in the night,**

**He will bring us goodness and light,**

**He will bring us goodness and light.'**

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**A/N: Read and review! n.n;;**


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